Apple gets patent for solar-powered gear

From CNET News.com: The sun may be in your iPhone battery's future.

Apple on Tuesday received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for powering electronics partially with solar power. (See patent number 7,868,582).

The patent, which was originally filed in 2009, describes a system of using a solar panel for charging different portable devices, including a notebook computer, tablet, phone, or other handheld gadget.

It specifically deals with converting the power from a solar panel to meet the power requirements of electronics. The system includes a voltage converter which ensures that available solar power can be converted and used to recharge batteries.

The solar panel could be embedded in the device or removeable, according to the patent.

Although Apple has not yet released any solar-powered gadgets, it's clear that the company is interested in letting people use sunlight to charge when they can't get to an AC outlet. It's the fourth patent that Apple has received around solar power, according to Patently Apple.

There are already a number of solar chargers designed for Apple equipment. Solar charger makers say that Apple products are particularly demanding in terms of the quality of power needed to effectively use solar panels.

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